Papin and Boyle. Engraving of Denis Papin (1647- 1712), French scientist, and Robert Boyle (1627- 91), British chemist, discussing their experiments using air pumps in 1675. Air pumps had been invented by Otto von Guericke in the late 1640s. Boyle (right) heard of this discovery in 1657 and devised an improved pump with the help of Robert Hooke; the vacuums made using air pumps were for a time known as Boylean Vacuums. Boyle was introduced to the work of Papin by Leibniz. Papin had worked on air pumps under Huygens in Paris & moved to London, Britain, in 1675 and assisted Boyle with his air pump experiments during 1676- 79. Papin invented the double-acting air pump.